Patent GB-731344-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for delivering sheet material
IPC: B65H31/32
Filed: 1950-06-09
Abstract: 731,344. Folding paper; sheet-delivery apparatus. INTERNATIONAL CELLUCOTTON PRODUCTS CO. June 9, 1950 [Jan. 13, 1950], No. 14434/50. Class 100 (1). An apparatus for delivering sheet material, includes means for piling sheet material on top of a stack of such material, stack-supporting means, a marker and means for moving and retracting the marker into and from an overlying position relative to the stack, a table underlying the stack supporting means, means for withdrawing the supporting means from under the stack so as to deposit on the table the portion of the stack between the marker when overlying the stack and the supporting means, means for re-inserting the supporting means in the stack at the location of the marker when overlying the portion of the stack on the table, and means for removing from the table the stack portion deposited thereon. Folding paper; delivery in counted batches; receivers.-Two longitudinally slit webs 4 and 5, Fig. 4, are zig-zag folded and interfolded by two interfolding rolls 1 and 2 in known manner to product a stack of interfolded sheets having a slit dividing the stack into two portions, the portions still being bonded weakly together. As shown in Fig. 13, a stack 9a of folded tissue is accumulated on a plate 15 movable automatically downwards while additional sheets are deposited on the top of the pile, such that the height of the top of pile remains substantially constant relative to the rolls 1 and 2. A counter finger 16 is moved in to a position overlying the stack 9a when the required number of sheets have been accumulated. At about the same time that the stack 9a is completed on the plate 15, a previously formed stack 9b on a vertically movable platform 20 is lowered to space the lowermost fold of the stack 9a and the uppermost fold of the stack 9b apart to permit the introduction of a blade 17 which engages the connecting web section 18 while simultaneously moving downwardly, such that stacks 9a and 9b become separated. The separating blade 17 carries a pusher 22 which advances the stack 9b to a receiving table 23. After the blade 17 has been withdrawn the platform 20 is automatically raised into a position adjacent the bottom of the plate 15 which is then withdrawn. The platform 20 and finger 16 are moved downwards simultaneously until the platform 20 suddenly moves down at a greater speed to form a space to accommodate the previously withdrawn plate 15 under the finger 16 which is then withdrawn and moved upwardly to subsequently overlay the next completed stack. The platform 20 continues its downward movement until it is level with the table 23. To compensate for variations in thickness, moisture content and other properties of the material being folded the top of the stack being formed is adjustable with respect to the rolls 1 and 2 without disturbing the relative relationship of the plate 15, finger 16, platform 20 and table 23 by reason of their operating and supporting mechanism being mounted on a common shelf 25, Fig. 4, pivotally mounted so as to be adjustable by a hand lever or automatically by a feeler engaging the top of the stack which feeler detects increases in upward pressure of the stack. The movement of the plate 15 is effected in the horizontal direction by a hydraulic cylinder 39 having a movable piston rod which supports the plate 15, the cylinder itself being movable vertically by rod 43, Fig. 8, connected by links to arms 46 secured to a shaft 47 rocked by an arm 48 having a roller 49 engaging a rotary cam 50 on a cam-shaft 51. The platform 20 is reciprocated by lever arm 66 connected to a lever 71 rocked through a lever 72 by a cam 74 on the camshaft 51. The counting finger 16, Fig. 13, is reciprocated towards and away from the stacks of material by a solenoid 84, Fig. 2 (not shown), embodying coils which cause opposite movement of an armature, the solenoid being controlled by a switch such as 87, Fig. 8, which is closed and then opened to cause retraction of the finger 16, Fig. 13, by a cam 88, Fig. 8, on the shaft 51, while a second switch 89, Fig. 2 (not shown), is actuated at every revolution of the rolls 1 and 2 to cause insertion of the finger 16 by means of a rotatable member 92, Fig. 2 (not shown), chain driven from either roll 1 or 2, Fig. 4. The solenoid device is also reciprocated up and down by levers actuated by a rotary cam. The blade 17, Fig. 6, is secured to a cross head 101 reciprocated by a piston rod 106 slidable in a hydraulic cylinder 107 supplied with liquid through a valve actuated by levers by a cam on the cam-shaft 51, the valve supplying liquid selectively to either end of the cylinder 107. Fingers 114 connected to the cross head 101 are pivotally mounted, such that they can feed stacks from the table 23, but on their rearward stroke they rock forwardly so that they pass under the stacks, the table 23 being slotted to permit this movement of the fingers 114. The cam-shaft 51, Fig. 8, is driven from a shaft 134, the two shafts being approximately in the same vertical plane but not coaxial. The shaft 51 carries a sun gear 139 and an arm 140, while the shaft 134 carries a sun gear 135 and an arm 136, the arms 136 and 140 supporting a rotatably mounted shaft having a double pinion 137, 138 engaging the gears 139, 135 respectively. Thus, the shaft 51 may be constantly driven while permitting movement up or down relative to the shaft 134 as a result of vertical adjustment of the shelf 25, Fig. 4. Sheet retainers, grippers.-To prevent distortion of a stack on the table 23 while the blade 17 is being withdrawn, spring shoes 118 are rocked downwardly, such that frictional surfaces on their lower surfaces engage and lightly compress the top of the stack. Holding bars 152, Figs. 4 and 11, are lowered into engagement with the top surface of a stack on the slotted end portion 23b of the table 23 to slightly compress the stack. Rocking wiping rolls 161 are associated with the bars 152 to prevent the leading edge of the top sheet curling upwards before being engaged by the bars 152. Two gripping devices 171a and 171b then grip the stack and carry it upwardly towards grippers 230. Each gripping device comprises an upper jaw 172 and a resiliently-pressed lower jaw 173, the former being slotted to fit between the bars 152. The jaws are rotatable through 90 degrees in opposite directions about a substantially vertical axis by a pinion 218 engaging a slidable rack 219. The rotation effects the separation of the stack at the slit dividing the stack into two portions to position the stacks for endwise travel towards the grippers 230. A slide plate 178, Fig. 11, supports each gripping device which is slidable along tracks 182, on rollers 181, by a piston rod 187 extending from a cylinder 186. Liquid is supplied selectively to either end of the cylinder 186 through a valve, to reciprocate the rod 187. The lower jaw 173 of each device 171a, 171b is initially held down by a rod carrying a roller engaging a pivoted plate 200. The plate 200 has a roller 204 engaging the underside of a reciprocable bar 205, such that by downward movement of the bar 205 the free end of the plate 200 is swung downwardly to pull the jaw 173 downwardly and vice versa. When the jaws reach the position in which the stacks overlay fingered portions 228, of an inclined table 229, the portions 228 receive jaw pins 173a while the jaws open and return to their position adjacent the table 23 leaving the stacks on the portion 228 beneath the grippers 230 actuated before the opening of the jaws 173, 172. Just before the jaws reach this position the grippers are raised, thus releasing the stacks on the portions 228, the stacks then being fed along the table by reciprocating feeding fingers 234. The fingers 234 and further fingers 238 are pivotally mounted, in a similar manner to the fingers 114, on bars 236 connected to the slide plate 178. The fingers 238 advance stacks previously advanced by the fingers 234. Grippers 239, Fig. 1, actuated simultaneously with the grippers 230 hold advanced stacks on the table 229. The advance of the next succeeding stacks causes the stacks gripped by the grippers 239 to be fed to gates 151 which are opened at the appropriate time to permit the stacks to drop into pockets on a conveyer 12 by which the stacks are transferred to another station, e.g. mechanism for inserting the stacks into a box. Specification 731,410 is referred to.